Slots bid shifts from Worcester to Millbury

Just hours after Rush Street Gaming announced its intention to develop a $200 million slots casino in Millbury, selectmen Tuesday night vetted the proposal in its first public airing. "I view this as a great opportunity. How often do we get a chance for a company to invest $200 million in the town, produce 400 new jobs?" said Town Manager Robert J. Spain.

MILLBURY — Just hours after Rush Street Gaming announced its intention to develop a $200 million slots casino in Millbury, selectmen Tuesday night vetted the proposal in its first public airing.

The developer, Mass Gaming & Entertainment, an affiliate of Chicago-based Rush Street Gaming, abandoned plans for a slots parlor in Worcester in June. The company remains in competition with three other entities for the state's sole slots license.

A formal presentation will be made Monday night to the Planning Board, which is expected to address plan details, traffic mitigation, environmental issues, demographics and market analysis, among other factors.

Town Manager Robert J. Spain Jr. told selectmen that the developer has been in discussion with the town and hopes to select a site in the next few days.

"I view this as a great opportunity. How often do we get a chance for a company to invest $200 million in the town, produce 400 new jobs? This was a troublesome budget period," Mr. Spain said.

He said earlier that the proposed casino would bring in more than $3 million annually in new tax revenue.

"The people get to make the final decision as to whether this comes or goes. Ultimately, the people will get to decide," Mr. Spain said.

Voters will opt at the ballot box whether to accept any signed host community agreement.

Town officials hope to negotiate a host community agreement by July 26. A referendum would be held within 60 to 90 days, by state law.

Steven Lovelette, a representative of Rush Street Gaming, told selectmen: "We were happy to meet with the town a few weeks ago and look at various sites. Obviously, Millbury has a very good access to the Mass Turnpike, to Route 146…. We think the type of property we would look to do would fit well with the city of Millbury."

He said that just as Rush Street has tailored its three other casinos to locales outside Chicago, in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, it would design a slots parlor particular to Millbury and the Blackstone Valley.

"We try to fit the property within the area," Mr. Lovelette said.

Mr. Spain said Rush Street Gaming is committed to giving local residents priority for the more than 400 jobs that developers anticipate creating beyond the initial construction jobs.

Selectman E. Bernard Plante, board chairman, said that at Rush's other facilities, 93 percent of the jobs were full time with benefits and averaged $50,000 annual salary. Mr. Plante said that the proposal evaluation process was still in the early stages, however.

"You can rest assured that this board will do its homework." Mr. Spain said: "Under the law itself, our costs are being covered for this. We've hired a consultant that's done several other agreements that's helping me work out the details. Also, they must cover the cost of the election."

Mr. Lovelette said that costs would depend on final location, among other things.

In response to questions from Selectman Francis B. King about crime associated with casinos, Mr. Lovelette said that there hasn't been high crime or any increased crime rates around the company's other properties.

He invited the police chief and town officials to speak with their counterparts and casino representatives in those cities.

Among the project's competitors, Cordish Cos. has targeted a slots parlor in Leominster but has not yet gained a host agreement from elected officials. Plainridge Racecourse has reached a host agreement with Plainville, and Raynham Park has negotiated a host agreement with Raynham selectmen. Plainville will have a townwide referendum Sept. 10. Raynham officials have scheduled an Aug. 13 referendum. Site-specific applications for the sole slots license are due with the state Gaming Commission in October.

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